Captain's log, stardate 54208.3.
Last month's datastream never arrived
so we looked forward to this one with more anticipation than usual.
We could all use news from home.
There he is. The man of the hour.
- You're in a good mood. - You snared the datastream last night.
It was this morning. 0200 to be exact.
- So, where's my mail? - Hm?
- Don't tell me you lost another one. - I didn't lose last month's.
- It never arrived. - What's the hold up now?
The transmission was larger than usual. It jammed the transceiver.
Seven and I were up all night downloading.
Harry, we can't go another month without mail.
You won't. Trust me.
- Any luck? - I know why we've had difficulties.
A hologram.
The transceiver wasn't designed to store photonic data.
We'd better get it out before it degrades.
- What are you doing? - Tying the transceiver to the holodeck.
The systems aren't compatible. It'll depolarise the relays.
Starfleet would only send the hologram if it was important. It's worth a few relays.
- You've overloaded the transceiver. - But I saved the hologram.
OK. Ready when you are.
- Lieutenant Barclay? - No, but he did design me.
I'm a walking, talking, problem-solving hologram. Call me Reg.
- It's nice to meet you. - The pleasure's mine.
Harry, Seven, I've been looking forward to working with you.
I know you were expecting letters from your families
but with any luck, in a few days you'll be seeing them face to face.
In three days, Voyager will pass through grid 898 -
a sector of space with a red, giant star.
Sensors detected it a few days ago.
A Federation team is orbiting a red giant
in the Alpha Quadrant.
In 72 hours they will target
its magnetic field with a verteron beam,
creating a geodesic fold.
A corresponding fold will open here
in the magnetic field of the red giant
that Voyager is approaching.
Space will be punctured at these points,
creating a gateway between quadrants.
Our shields are useless against it.
We toyed with opening a fold ourselves, but we knew we wouldn't survive it.
A lot's happened in research since then -
schematics to deflect the radiation,
medical technology for added protection.
We've thought of everything.
Starfleet never mentioned you.
Barclay didn't want to raise hopes
in case the plan didn't work.
Lucky for you, it does.
What about last month's datastream?
Why didn't we receive it?
Pathfinder tried sending my program.
It overloaded the array.
The only casualty was our transceiver.
You won't need it any more.
If we were to attempt this,
you'd need access to areas of this ship
that don't have holo-emitters.
Not to worry. We've thought of that too.
My emitter is your emitter.
Computer, transfer the Barclay hologram
to the mobile emitter.
Transfer complete.
On Barclay's behalf, I thank you.
Return it when we get to Earth.
Ready for you in the briefing room.
Excuse us, Doctor.
I'm sure you have a full day,
but I'd like to get better acquainted.
- I'll stop by. - You know where to find me.
This is our destination. Red giant 23139.
The geodesic fold will open here, adjacent to the northern pole.
We'll have exactly 16 seconds to take Voyager through.
Reg has prepared a list of assignments. Give him your cooperation.
You'll be plotting our course to Big Red Two.
Torres, Tuvok, I'd like you to start working on shield modifications.
In the meantime, the Doctor will prepare inoculations
to protect you from radiation.
We should discuss applying Borg technology to the plan.
It could increase chances of success.
I look forward to your thoughts.
- When will the transceiver be working? - Two hours.
- We can give a response to Starfleet. - Keep us posted.
I'd like to send Lieutenant Barclay a thank you note for his hard work.
Is there anything I can do, Reg?
Your job might be the most important. The next few days'll be difficult.
The crew will be working long hours. They'll need a morale officer.
- Keep their spirits high. - You can count on me.
If this were any other ship, I'd have my doubts.
But this is Voyager, the miracle ship.
You've survived six years in the Delta Quadrant.
You've evaded the Kazon, the Vidiians, the Hirogen.
You've even faced down the Borg.
I think, with a little teamwork, we can pull off one more miracle
and take Voyager home.
I can taste my mom's cooking.
Don't forget what the hologram said, "This is Voyager."
- "The miracle ship." - Not when it comes to getting us home.
Our short cuts tend to blow up in our faces.
That's looking on the bright side.
Remember Arturis and his quantum slipstream drive?
Or how about the telepathic pitcher plant
that made us think we were going home and tried to eat the ship?
- This is the best opportunity we've had. - We'll end up in the Gamma Quadrant.
- I'll remind you on Earth. - Don't say I didn't warn you.
When a Borg cube enters a transwarp conduit, it's subject to extreme shear.
To compensate, the Borg project an integrity field ahead of the cube.
By modifying Voyager's deflector, we can do the same.
No one at Starfleet would have thought of this.
So, what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get back?
Begin repairs to Voyager.
Even with the integrity field, it's likely the ship will be damaged.
There are people at Utopia Planitia who'll take care of that.
- Engineering crews and technicians. - I'm superfluous?
Of course not. I only meant that if you're too busy working,
you'll miss all the welcome home hoopla.
Starfleet's planning parties, ceremonies, speeches.
There's a ticker tape parade down Market Street.
I won't be attending any of those events.
You'd be the guest of honour.
When I first arrived on Voyager, it was difficult for the crew to accept me.
I'm anticipating a similar welcome on Earth.
You don't have any idea, do you?
I didn't mention this earlier, didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
You are the one people are most looking forward to seeing.
- That's difficult to believe. - Why?
- I was Borg. - Exactly. You were Borg.
But you escaped. Despite incredible odds, you reclaimed your humanity.
No one has done that before. You're famous.
- Fame is irrelevant. - Maybe.
But you've given hope to everyone who's ever lost someone to the Borg.
You've inspired millions.
If my participation in the "hoopla" will be beneficial to others,
then I'll comply.
- Will this take much longer? - The computer is still inputting data.
That should do it.
Computer, display the intended trajectory of datastream at 0600 today.
Now display the actual trajectory and identify the termination point.
Trajectory ends in sector 39542, grid 8.
Does that sound familiar? That's where the datastream dissipated last month.
There is something there preventing the datastream reaching Voyager.
A micro-wormhole, a radiogenic field.
Scans didn't pick up anything unusual.
Still, we could send a ship to investigate. We could confirm my theory.
What about my theory? The hologram was too complex.
The datastreams degraded before they got there.
Well, to be honest, I... I don't agree.
The truth is, we don't know what happened to my hologram.
Then let's stick to what we do know.
For the second month in a row, we sent your hologram.
And for the second month it failed to get there.
I don't want it to happen a third time.
It won't happen a third time. Next month we go back to standard transmissions.
But a holographic matrix can interact with the crew.
Admiral Paris wants us to send more practical data - tactical upgrades, letters.
- But Pete... - Sending a hologram was a good idea.
But it didn't work. It's time to move on.
And this is the research lab
where most of Pathfinder's homework gets done.
The datastreams are compressed and sent all the way to the Delta Quadrant.
Your teacher says you have been studying races that Voyager describes.
- Who can name one for me? - The Talaxians.
- Very good. - The Ocampa.
- That's right. Who else? - The Borg! The Borg!
- They assimilated my hologram. - Now isn't the time.
Last month, a spacecraft passed 20 metres
from the array before we sent a hologram.
Your point?
20 metres. It's close, don't you think?
The Borg must have sent a probe to steal my hologram.
Maybe because they thought it was carrying anti-Borg technology.
It wasn't the Borg.
Then Romulans used a cloaked ship. They've been curious for years.
That is enough. I am sorry your idea didn't work.
But I can't have you going off on a tangent, not again.
You'll be no good to Pathfinder or Voyager.
How much leave do you have saved up?
Not that much. 50, maybe 60 days.
- Take a week. Go home. Try to relax. - But Pete...
No. That was not a request, Lieutenant.
Maybe I'll go somewhere.
Take a vacation.
That is the most sensible thing I've heard all day.
My cousin has a beach house in Malaysia. She could lend it to you.
Thanks. But I have someplace else in mind.
You wanted to see me?
I've looked at the instructions from Starfleet.
As far as I can tell, their new inoculations
aren't different from run-of-the-mill vaccines.
- They won't protect the crew. - Did you try the synthetic antigen?
Yes, but it only improved the resistance by 10%.
- That should be enough. - We can't afford to be cavalier.
If these treatments don't work, the crew wind up liquefied.
Inoculations aren't designed to work alone.
They work in combination with the shield modifications.
The medicinal ying to the shield's yang.
- What if the yang doesn't work? - That won't happen. Now listen.
Lieutenant Barclay has a special affinity for this crew. So do I.
I promise you, we won't let them down.
Of course you won't. Do you also share Barclay's affinity for golf?
We have identical handicaps.
If you're not busy later, we could play nine holes on the holodeck.
It's tempting, but I still have progress reports to look over.
Maybe you could look over them here so I could borrow the mobile emitter.
Providing the rest of the day goes smoothly, it's yours.
I...
I thought it was mine.
Chakotay tells me you've finished preparing the transceiver.
We're sending the reply to Barclay.
- Can you include my progress report? - I think we can squeeze that in.
Computer, download Barclay hologram file 01 to the data block.
- Download complete. - Transmitted.
It's about time.
Greetings from Delta Quadrant.
- Your hologram reached us safely. - Get to the important part.
In accordance with the 74th Rule of Acquisition,
I've enclosed the specifications you requested. See you soon.
Look at those hands. I bet she gives great oo-mox.
Too bad she'll be dead when she gets here.
Forget the hands. Show me the nanoprobes.
- How many are there? - 3.6 million.
- That's 20% more than we predicted. - 3.6 million nanoprobes
at six bars of latinum per unit. That comes to...
More profit than we ever dreamed of.
- Your drink, sir. - Thank you.
- Something to drink, ma'am? - I'm fine, thanks.
Are you sure? I've got a chocolate passion punch with your name on it.
- Reg? - Surprise.
- Where's Commander Riker? - He doesn't arrive till Friday.
- What are you doing here? - I just had some time off.
Your letter made this place sound fun. I just thought I'd join you.
Do you know how inappropriate it is to follow your therapist on vacation?
Please. They might be watching.
- Who? - The Borg. Romulans. I'm not sure yet.
Please. Deanna, I need your help.
Commander Harkins wouldn't even look at my evidence.
I'm not sure any of this qualifies as evidence.
You don't believe me. You think I'm imagining this?
Just like Pete.
The last time I saw you, you were laughing, telling jokes.
You even sang a duet with Data.
That was Commander LaForge's birthday party.
You were a completely different Reg that night.
- Things were better then. - How?
I'd finished the matrix for my hologram. I showed it to Geordi that night.
- He said he was proud of me. - What else?
Oh, the Dragons had just won the pennant
and I was still seeing Leosa.
You mentioned her at the party. A teacher, right?
Everything was going so well. My job, my personal life.
I started to think that maybe my luck was changing.
And then you lost your hologram.
Admiral Paris was furious. He said we'd wasted a transmission for Voyager.
Pete talked him into giving us another chance but there was pressure.
- Did it put a strain on you and Leosa? - She left me.
- I'm sorry. - I went to her apartment. She was gone.
No furniture, no forwarding address. Not even a letter.
- That must have been upsetting. - It's just my luck, right?
Lose the hologram and the girl.
- Tell me more about Leosa. - You would have liked her.
She was sweet. She was thoughtful.
And such a wonderful listener. She would let me go on for hours.
- What did you talk about? - She was fascinated by my work.
Pathfinder.
And er... she didn't, er...
She didn't find any of it boring.
She made me feel... interesting.
What do you feel when we talk about her now?
Sadness, I suppose.
A little confusion.
I'm sensing something else, something beneath the surface.
- What? - I think you might be sensing it too.
- What? - You suspect her of something.
I suspect she's happier without me, if that's what you mean.
You think Leosa had something to do with your disappearing hologram
but you can't bring yourself to admit it.
That's why you're projecting your suspicions onto others.
You're in denial.
If there's any chance Leosa did breach Pathfinder security,
you need to tell your superiors.
I'd be humiliated again.
- I'll go with you. - What about your vacation?
I'll be back here before Will arrives.
Do you really think it's possible that Leosa stole my hologram?
Why would she do that?
Maybe she wanted something to remember me by.
Captain's log, supplemental.
With the help of the Barclay hologram, we've nearly completed modifications.
As for Reg, he's becoming extremely popular with the crew.
Imagine my disappointment
when Paris ate all the scrambled eggs. It was pure unadulterated gluttony.
Gastronomic conduct unbecoming a Starfleet officer.
He knows it's my favourite breakfast but he ate them anyway.
We have an egg-mergency here, people.
I want to know what you plan to do about it.
Maybe I can replicate some more, Captain.
Do it.
Thank you. Thank you.
He not only gets us home, he does impressions.
It always bothered Barclay that he was uncomfortable in groups.
So he designed me to be the life of the party.
I hope he's not too shy. He'll have 150 new friends back home.
If we get home, Harry. If.
Pardon him. He's convinced we're destined to live in the Delta Quadrant.
Your pessimism is illogical.
Perhaps a mind-meld will alleviate your concern.
Sickbay to Reg, please report to holodeck 2.
On my way.
I was starting to think you'd forgotten our tee-time.
So what'll it be? Pebble Beach at sunset? The back nine at Gedi Prime?
Actually, Doctor, I'm afraid something's come up. I'm meeting Seven of Nine.
- Really? - She's going to teach me Kadis-Kot.
When I agreed to lend you my emitter,
I did it thinking you needed it for official business.
What's your point?
Board games aren't crucial to your mission.
And I suppose golf is?
Reg?
I tell you what. When we get back home, we'll play as much golf as you like.
Until then, let's try to keep out of each other's hair.
What do you say?
State your name for the record.
Leosa. L-E-O-S-A.
- Occupation? - Dabo girl.
- Dabo? - It's a Ferengi game.
I work aboard one of their casino ships.
- You told me you were a teacher. - Is this true?
Sometimes I'm a teacher, sometimes I'm a Bajoran Vedek.
Whatever the customer wants.
Barclay tells me you had spent a significant amount of time together.
- Did he discuss his work with you? - Wouldn't talk about anything else.
It was always holograms this and cyclic pulsars that.
And who did you share that information with?
- Nobody. - I have a theory.
Would you like to hear it?
Why not?
Some of your Ferengi friends found a way to profit from Barclay's work.
I think you were encouraged to get close to him.
And when you had all the information you needed, you left him.
I left Reg for one simple reason.
He's boring.
Don't tell me you never noticed.
With the admiral's permission, I'd like a moment alone with Leosa.
I don't think therapy is what this woman needs.
- Five minutes, Admiral. - Five minutes.
Did you know I'm a Betazoid? I'm empathic,
which means I know when people are lying.
Tell me, what's the longest you've ever been incarcerated?
You can't send me to prison, Counsellor. I didn't do anything wrong.
Maybe not, but I can order you held for psychiatric observation.
Extended observation.
I may not be a Betazoid, but I work a dabo table
and I know when somebody's bluffing.
Try me.
You were correct. The Ferengi did steal Reg's hologram. Twice.
This is the ship you need to look for.
That's it. That's Nunk's ship.
- Nunk? - My employer.
Scans indicate they've been in the vicinity of that star for 43 hours. Why?
- I don't know. - She's telling the truth. For once.
The Ferengi would only steal the hologram if it was valuable.
They're probably waiting to rendezvous with the buyer.
- Any Starfleet ships in the area? - The Carolina's 0.7 light years away.
- It could reach them in two hours. - Open a channel.
Computer, open a secure channel to The Carolina.
Tell Captain Peterson to adjust his course.
Was everything that happened between us a lie?
Not everything. Just the parts where I expressed affection for you.
If it makes any difference, it wasn't personal.
It's just business.
What exactly is a broken heart worth these days?
- 10%. - Of what?
Profits from the nanoprobes.
Nanoprobes? Borg nanoprobes?
Gegis says they're worth two billion times their weight in latinum.
I don't understand the problem.
- He's doing impressions of you. - You should hear his Tuvok. Eerie.
- It's disrespectful. - You want me to deactivate him?
His behaviour may be indicative of a more serious problem.
- I haven't seen any evidence. - In front of you he's all smiles.
But I've seen him be rude and careless,
two traits the real Barclay never exhibited.
I know the real Barclay is a friend
and sorry if the hologram hasn't lived up to expectations
but that's no reason to deactivate.
Are the lives of 150 crewmen reason enough?
Maybe you're right. Maybe I am overreacting.
But what if I'm right?
We're less than a light year away from the geodesic fold.
Do you want to risk being led through it by a malfunctioning hologram?
- You saved us a com call. - We're bringing the shielding on-line.
Good work. I need a moment alone with Reg.
Your program's been running for how many hours?
56 hours, 11 minutes, 21 seconds.
I'd like to run a diagnostic of your matrix. Check you haven't suffered degradation.
This isn't the Doctor's idea, is it?
- He expressed some concern, yes. - I bet he did.
We're grateful for what you've done, but we need to take every precaution.
I understand. If the Doctor thinks I need a check-up, who am I to argue?
- Why are you hiding in the corner? - I'm not hiding.
I'm working on a way to foil the Ferengi's plans.
There's nothing left to foil. They'll be in custody within the hour.
Leosa said the Ferengi would sell Borg nanoprobes.
What does that have to do with Voyager?
They have a Borg crewman. Think about it.
The Ferengi stole the original hologram a month ago.
That gave them time to reprogram it and smuggle it to Voyager.
- Reprogram it to do what? - Steal Seven of Nine's nanoprobes.
For all we know, he could be dissecting her right now.
What would the Ferengi want with assimilation technology?
Nanoprobes aren't just for assimilating.
They reanimate necrotic tissue, slow down the ageing process.
They'd be priceless for the Ferengi.
Reg, even if the Ferengi did reprogram your hologram to steal the nanoprobes,
how would they get their hands on them?
- Voyager's 30,000 light years away. - I haven't figured that out yet.
Maybe they discovered a wormhole or a subspace corridor.
Have you mentioned this to Commander Harkins?
Not yet. I can't.
If I don't bring him hard evidence, he'll think I'm fantasising.
For the time being, we need to keep this between us.
- That tickles, Lieutenant. - Sorry. We're almost finished.
Have you identified any problems yet?
I've gone over his matrix. He's working perfectly.
Maybe I'm not the one who needs a diagnostic.
I'm a big enough hologram to admit when I'm wrong. Sorry I doubted you.
If anyone needs an apology, it's you. I should have been more sensitive.
- Friends? - Friends.
Now that's out of the way, let's get this ship back to Earth.
It's time.
Initiate the geodesic pulse.
Would someone care to tell me what that is?
It's a geodesic fold, Admiral.
That's how they're going to get the nanoprobes.
Two million kilometres and closing.
- Take us to one quarter impulse. - Bridge to astrometrics.
- Bring the enhanced shielding on-line. - Aye, Commander.
What's wrong?
The fold contains three radiation types we didn't account for.
- The shields are not enough. - They work with the inoculations.
If the shields fail, the inoculations are irrelevant.
- Astrometrics to the bridge. - Go ahead.
- What is it, Seven? - There was a problem.
But I've corrected it.
I'm using the MIDAS array to tap into the Ferengi sensors.
They're receiving telemetry through the fold.
Voyager's headed for it.
Janeway knows better than to take her ship into an anomaly.
If the Ferengi altered my hologram,
then it might be possible for him to have taken over the ship.
A hologram against an entire crew?
He may have incapacitated them
or commandeered the systems, but we must get the Carolina to close the fold.
- It isn't equipped to do that. - They can do it from the Ferengi ship.
The Carolina won't make it in time.
Can we transmit a message? Warn Voyager?
Not through a geodesic fold.
Our own starship with multiphasic shielding
and a gold-pressed latinum hull.
We'll have enough left to buy a fleet of casino ships.
I have a better idea. Lobe enlargements.
- Someone's hailing us. - Who?
- I can't tell. There's interference. - Answer it.
It's the hologram.
You said it was impossible to communicate through the fold.
I thought it was.
I did a better job of reprogramming the hologram than I thought.
We must close the geodesic fold immediately.
Captain Janeway has found out about our plan.
If that's true, then why is she still headed for the fold?
Because she... found a way to protect her ship.
- Impossible. - You don't know Janeway.
She's uncanny when it comes to shields. She's furious.
She said she was going to kill whoever tried to harm her crew.
I strongly suggest you abort the mission.
What should we do?
- Go to warp before she gets through. - No, you mustn't.
Voyager has Borg inter-quadrental warp drives
and Hirogen hunting sensors and Vidiian phage torpedoes.
No matter where you run, Voyager will find you.
Your only hope is to close the fold.
- Harkins to holodeck 1. - Go ahead, Pete.
It worked. They've started to close the fold.
Computer, end program.
Something's wrong, Captain.
Astrometrics to the bridge. Why are we stopping?
The fold's collapsing, Reg. We didn't make it in time.
We could remodulate the shields.
I appreciate your determination but we can't risk it. You did what you could.
- Someone just initiated a transport. - Who?
Seven and Reg beamed to an escape pod.
Bridge to Seven, what's going on?
- The pod's been launched. - Put a tractor beam on it.
- There's too much interference. - Can you get a transporter lock?
- What now? - Something's coming through the fold.
- Voyager? - It's too small.
- A phage torpedo? - Raise shields. Brace for impact.
It's an escape pod.
Maybe the hologram sent us the drone.
Check what's in there.
Nothing. No Borg corpse. No nanoprobes.
No profit.
Captain's log, supplemental. Seven has recovered from her injuries.
Reg has been deactivated.
Until we finish analysing his program, his motivations remain a mystery.
Making first contact with a new life-form?
Mum's apple pie. Neelix thought a little home cooking might cheer me up.
And?
I haven't got the courage to taste it. What went wrong with Reg?
Seven thinks our proximity to the fold degraded his matrix.
I think it was a recursive error in his logic subroutine.
Not bad. But it would have tasted better in San Francisco.
If it'll make you feel any better, I'll let you in on a little secret.
I was on the bridge this morning when I received a hail from an Iconian scientist.
He claims to have a trans-dimensional gateway to go anywhere in the galaxy.
- I'm not that gullible. - It's true. I was there.
The captain doesn't want us to get our hopes up
but personally I think we'll be home by the end of the week.
Are you serious?
You were right about him.
Computer, install Barclay security protocol 21 alpha.
Installation complete.
- Identify yourself. - Computer, deactivate program.
I'm sorry. I've been programming him with new security precautions.
- So he can't be stolen. - You're off to a good start.
I thought you'd be on the beach.
We decided to spend the rest of our vacation in Tiburon.
We were wondering if you were free for dinner.
I... wouldn't want to be a third nacelle.
Not possible. Will's bringing a friend for you.
Her name's Maril. You're going to adore her.
I'd like to, but I still have dozens of protocols to install. Maybe next time.
Look, I know Leosa hurt you
but hiding inside a holo-grid isn't the answer.
You need to get out, meet people.
This Maril wouldn't happen to be a dabo girl by any chance?
- She's a teacher. A real one. - Are you sure?
Don't worry, we've taken security precautions.